


On a Train

by An_Odd_Idea



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Ghostly Things, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, I’m not sure how any of this works, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, past major character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26244658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Odd_Idea/pseuds/An_Odd_Idea
Summary: Tony shows up on the train in Far From Home.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 31
Kudos: 123





	On a Train

**Author's Note:**

> There’s a line in this where Tony isn’t sure how he was able to do something. Well guys, the author isn’t sure either, but here we are.
> 
> Good thing I do this for free.

Peter couldn’t hold on much longer.

His fingers slid against the side of the train, slick with blood, and it was all he could do to keep himself from falling under the wheels.

Dying wasn’t an option. Not now, not like this. Not when Beck still had Tony’s glasses. Peter groaned and held on, inching his way along the train.

He made it. He made it to the door. Slowly, as slowly as he could, he let go with one hand, reaching to pry it open. It didn’t budge.

“Come on,” he muttered. This was getting ridiculous. He had super-strength, for crying out loud! But it seemed to have abandoned him, and the door didn’t move.

Peter pulled harder, his frustration quickly turning to panic as the one hand that held him to the train trembled dangerously. He felt frozen, trying to breathe, trying to hang on, and he was slipping.

His arms gave out momentarily and he slid a few inches farther down the side of the train with a terrified gasp. He recovered, barely, but his hands continued to shake. 

Just as he lost his grip entirely, the door whooshed open of its own accord, and hands reached out of the train to catch him. They yanked him inside before he could even get a glance at who was saving him, and a second later he was wrapped tightly in strong arms. That was good, he thought, because he was definitely going to pass out now.

“Okay, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

Peter recoiled from the voice next to his ear and came face to face with his rescuer for the first time. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He stared, tried to think of something to say, but just then his exhaustion finally reached a breaking point and he collapsed in Tony’s arms.

  
Tony had no idea how he’d done it.

Never in his entire experience of watching over the living world had he been able to influence it before. He’d certainly never been able to touch anything before.

He remembered begging as he watched Peter cling to the side of the train. Begging, and screaming when he slipped, and then he was slamming the button to open the door and pulling the kid inside as if he had a body again. Maybe he did.

But explanations could wait. Tony lowered Peter awkwardly to the floor and crouched beside him. He was out cold.

He was incredibly lucky to have made it that long before passing out, after a hit like that. Even with his enhancements, he was lucky to have survived at all.

Tony eased the ridiculous black mask off, revealing Peter’s pale and bloodied face. His hair was limp and greasy-looking with sweat, and there were trails down his face that Tony hoped weren’t tear tracks. He touched his forehead, which appeared both relatively uninjured and not too gross.

“They really did a number on you didn’t they, kid.” He smoothed Peter’s sweaty hair back anyway.

Then he checked him over for injuries, finding plenty, but miraculously there was nothing life-threatening. He didn’t know what he could have done for it if there had been.

With Peter secure and in no danger of dying in the next few minutes, Tony sat back on his heels and pondered what to do. He had no idea how long he’d get to stay tangible and apparently visible too, but Peter was still completely out of it so it didn’t do them a lot of good. At least he could put him somewhere more comfortable than the floor. Tony gathered him up carefully, much more easily than he ever could have in life without his suit, and carried him to one of the seats. Peter’s head leaned heavily against his shoulder.

He sat down, still with Peter in his arms. He should really put him down somewhere, just in case he went back to being a ghost as quickly as he had stopped. 

He kept holding him. Heaven knew the kid needed it. Not that he was aware, but Tony hoped he might feel a little safer anyway.

“Well here we are,” he said softly. “I don’t know how we’re doing this. Usually when I drop in I’m only allowed to watch, no last-minute rescue maneuvers.” He looked fondly down at Peter. “Of course you’re the first one to need it.”

Peter didn’t stir.

Tony sighed. “Maybe I can go save Pep from the laundry.”

He looked at Peter again. He had his face tucked against Tony’s neck, almost like he was trying to hide. Tony couldn’t blame him, after everything that had happened.

“You know it wasn’t true what he said,” he murmured, making his voice as soothing as possible even though Peter wasn’t really listening. “I did what I had to, and it cost me. Anybody trying to blame you would be crazy.”

He remembered his last few minutes vividly, and Peter apologizing in that broken little voice before Pepper pulled him away. He usually tried not to think about that whole experience very often.

“What were you saying sorry for, huh?” he asked the teenager in his arms. “You did good.”

There was a lot of pain associated with that last day, but there was some good, too. A lot of good, Tony thought, hugging Peter to him. Peter, who was solid and alive and _not dust_.

“You were amazing.”

Tony Stark was not often one to use the word _amazing_ , but seeing Peter in front of him for the first time in five years definitely qualified. He might have cried remembering it, but apparently whatever had allowed him to become solid hadn’t thought tears were necessary.

Speaking of being solid, he could sense that was coming to an end soon.

“Alright Pete, now’s the time to wake up.” Tony shifted him carefully in his arms, selfishly hoping that he would. He’d give anything to really talk to him, even for a moment. “Got something to tell you.”

Peter continued to sleep.

“That’s okay.” Tony stroked his hair. “You rest. Then you go kick Beck’s ass alright?”

He propped Peter up in the seat next to him, a little awkwardly, but he’d be able to move fast if he had to. If he was awake. Tony would have liked to stay until then, if not to talk to him, then just to protect him, but it was useless to try to stay, he could tell. 

“I’ll be around. It’s a little unpredictable where I show up, but I’ll be here.” He reached out one more time to brush Peter’s hair off his face, and his hand looked strangely transparent. “Guess I’m running out of time. I’m just gonna say this anyway, okay? It’s important.”

Peter wouldn’t remember this, but it was still worth saying. Tony went on.

“It’s going to be okay. Beck’s no match for you. If you were awake you’d ask how I know that, and I’d say because I know you.”

He wished Peter was awake. He wished it, he wished it, but they were out of time. Hopefully he would know already.

“You’re my kid. I never told you that, but I think you figured it out. Doesn’t make me wish I’d told you any less.” Tony leaned closer like he might if he was trying to get Peter to look him in the eye. “You’re my kid, and I love you. I want you to remember that.”

He kissed Peter on the forehead, and that was the last thing he felt before he slipped away again.

  
Peter felt like he was floating underwater. He wasn’t quite awake, but he wasn’t really asleep either, and he had no idea where he was. He broke the surface with an effort and blinked his eyes open to find himself on a train.

Right. It all came back, and he thought he’d rather go back to sleep and never wake up again.

Peter froze at one last piece of memory. Someone had saved him, he could remember that now. Someone with Tony’s face, and Tony’s voice had told him it was okay. Now wide awake, he looked around with his heart pounding, but he was alone.

It must have been a dream then. He crashed into sleep once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, or come visit me on tumblr @an-odd-idea
> 
> Please don’t copy this work to anywhere outside this site, thanks!


End file.
